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The Circuit Playhouse
1705 Poplar Avenue
Memphis, TN 38103
Box Office: 726-4656
(”A Year With Frog and Toad” runs through December 23)

As a parent, I kept thinking of this outing as “Ninety minutes with Toddler and Pre-K.” I wondered if at two and four my kidlets were too young to enjoy live theater–even if the show was a matinée of a popular and well-reviewed musical adapted from classic children’s literature. After a surprisingly enjoyable afternoon, I decided that “A Year With Frog and Toad” is the perfect introduction to live theater for children.

Frog and Toad is one of two shows Playhouse is offering this year as part of its family-friendly holiday line-up. The other is Seussical, which is playing at the Playhouse on the Square through January 6. I took my daughter to Seussical last year and it was a difficult afternoon with lots of squirming and very little comprehension. Part of it was that she was only three, but Seussical also has a near incomprehensible plot, a much larger cast and songs that are not quite as catchy.

The cast of Frog and Toad includes Brian C. Gray, who plays the sensible Frog and Kevin Todd Murphy who brings the emotive Toad to life. There are three other cast members who play a variety of animals from the books–birds, mouse, moles, snail and turtle. There is never more than two minutes of dialogue without breaking into song. The music is upbeat and has a contemporary jazz feel to it. Or as my husband said, piano bar. The music is live (there is a keyboardist hidden onset). The musical was adapted from the stories of Arnold Lobel by his daughter, Adrianne Lobel and it follows tried and true friends Frog and Toad as they navigate through an adventure-filled year, joined by some colorful companions along the way.

I loved that this production doesn’t feel commercialized. The plot is steady and easy for children to understand. Seussical suffers from the feeling that story was sacrificed to work in popular Seussical characters. The simpleness of Frog and Toad is perfect for small children. The episodic plot points, which nearly always include a memorable song, were simple enough for even my two year old to grasp. The children particular enjoyed The Cookie Song, Toad Looks Funny in a Bathing Suit and the parents enjoyed Fly A Kite.

There is a ten-minute intermission following The Cookie Song and there are cookies for sale for $1 in the lobby. One of the cast members, in costume, was guarding the cookie jar and was happy to pose for a few photos while we were there. (I, of course, failed to bring my camera.) But, for my daughter, who decided that the birds were her favorite characters, it was a thrill to see one close up.

The cast members adopted different accents for some of the characters, which seemed odd to me, but didn’t phase the kidlets. The birds (who have to fly south) had southern accents and the turtle had a northeastern accent of some type (Kathryn Hepburn), the mouse and snail seemed to have no accent, and the moles were Russian. Since Frog and Toad are English, I would have loved to hear at least a bit of a British accent.

Frog and Toad and Seussical are part of Playhouse’s school matinée program. Shows are performed nearly every day for school children from across the MidSouth. Tickets are subsidized in part by the Ticket Subsidy Program provided by the Tennessee Arts Commission through the Greater Memphis Arts Council and run $7 per student. I’m sure many of you have experienced these shows and past favorites, such as “Peter Pan” and “Disney’s Aladdin” as part of this program.

As a parent, I enjoyed “A Year With Frog and Toad” Playhouse offers a terrific way to introduce children to theater in a family-friendly way. The tickets for the weekend matinées at $15 for children and $25 for adults . I’m sure many of your children have enjoyed these shows with their classrooms, but don’t be afraid to venture out as a family. It makes a nice tradition.

(A quick note about Seussical. This show, which premiered last year, was very well received and children love it. From my experience, it is a terrific show for children ages 6 and up. The music crosses many genres and the pace of the show is quick. The costumes and sets are a bit more expansive and involved. For those looking for a special New Year’s night, Playhouse is offering a New Year’s Eve Gala for families. It starts at 6 p.m. with a special showing of Seussical at 7 p.m. There will be door prizes, food and drink, party favors and plenty of activities, including an early countdown of New Year’s. For more information on this event, visit Playhouse. Tickets are $40 for adults, $25 for Children. All Proceeds Benefit Playhouse’s Theatre For Youth Programs. Call (901) 726-4656 for more information.